Meissen Marks Blue Crossed Swords & Augustus Rex Marks - Antique Meissen Marks and the blue crossed swords mark imitators. Not all blue crossed swords marks are genuine Meissen marks. Knowing what to look for and the dates that are relevant to each Meissen mark can help you avoid buying imitation Meissen porcelain. You should remember that the marks detailed below are mostly drawn by hand and that slight variations in the format occur and the mark only supports the source and doesn’t testify to it. The true test of an antique Meissen porcelain piece is always the overall quality of the object and the quality of the decoration. The Meissen Blue Crossed Swords and Augustus Rex marks. 1723-1725 — Original kpm mark with blue crossed swords beneath. 1825-1924 — blue crossed swords mark with curved handles 1725-1732 — Original blue crossed swords mark with curved crosspieces and handles. 1924-1934 — blue crossed swords mark with dot between top of blades. 1732-1773 — Dot period blue crossed swords mark with dot between crosspieces.

1945-1947 — blue crossed swords mark with crescent below. 1773-1814 — Marcolini period blue crossed swords mark with asterix below or between crosspieces. 1947-1973 — blue crossed swords mark with straight crosspieces. 1814-1824 — blue crossed swords mark with straight hilts and vertical bar below 1974 — blue crossed swords mark with meissen name in logotype script below. Meissen incised marks, rather than underglaze, used on biscuit porcelain and white glazed porcelain: — incised mark on biscuit porcelain. Samples of actual meissen marks … The Meissen Augustus Rex Mark. The augustus rex mark or monogram (AR) was introduced by Meissen in the first half of the 18th century when the crossed swords were introduced. The Meissen AR monogram was a special mark reserved for objects used by the court of Elector August the Strong, founder of the Meissen factory and later reigning monarch of Poland, King August II. It was also added to pieces produced for the court of his son, August III, who succeeded him in 1733.

All court pieces were marked with the AR monogram, and occasionally the mark was added to gifts produced for royal visitors. The mark was always applied by hand, in underglaze blue, and some variations exist. However pieces marked with the AR monogram were produced in the very early days of the meissen factory and are mostly decorated with oriental motifs, in the Bottger chinoiserie or the kakiemon style. It goes without saying that surviving pieces are very rare and very expensive and that there are almost none available on the open market. Most if not all of the existing pieces are part of Royal or museum collections. You do see AR marked porcelain for sale at auctions on internet auction sites and at fairs and markets And buyers should be aware that they are probably all imitations, most having been produced in the second half of the 19th century. Most imitations will be colourful and completely different in style from the original early 18th century meissen pieces.

In the 1880’s Meissen did take legal steps and attempt to stop the imitations (as they have also done with their crossed swords mark), but as with today’s modern market, the general public are quite willing to accept imitations at the right price and the copies continue to be produced throughout europe. Read on for a selection of the imitators, including the almost perfect and very popular imitator, Helena Wolfsohn. The Meissen blue crossed sword mark imitators. Anspach (Germany – Nassau) Founded at the end of the 19th century – By Meyers. Used From: End of the 19th century This was not a porcelain factory but a company and eventually a selection of companies and decorators who decorated porcelain in the Meissen style. The Meissen Augustus Rex mark imitators. The Augustus Rex monogram (AR) was introduced by Meissen in the first half of the 18th century and other manufacturers quickly saw the advantage of including a pseudo AR mark on their own porcelain wares. The list below details the best of these and includes English and European makers marks.

Helena Wolfsohn – Dresden (Germany – Saxony) Founded in 1843 by Helena Wolfsohn Used: c1880s Helena Wolfsohn wasn’t a porcelain manufacturer but rather a painting studio that decorated externally bought porcelain. However, the AR monogram on early wares is often under the glaze and it’s safe to assume pieces were ordered with the mark applied before firing. The Wolfsohn mark is one of the best examples of the Augustus Rex mark you will find. Bauscher Brothers – Weiden (Germany – Pfaltz) Founded in 1881 by the Bauscher Brothers Used : c1882 The Bauscher Brothers founded their Porcelain factory in 1881 producing table wares for railroad and shipping companies. In 1927 the company was taken over by the Lorenz Hutschenreuter AG from Selb. The mark shown was registered in the RWZR (Weiden district) on the 7th of November 1882 and is actually ‘AB’ and not ‘AR’ but the style is intended to mirror the Augustus Rex mark.

Blot – Mehun-sur-Yèvre (France) Founded in 1920 by Albert Blot Used from: 1930 – 1941 Although this is clearly a monogram depicting “AB” (after the founder), it cannot be denied that the style is clearly influenced by the Augustus Rex monogram of the Meissen factory. The factory of Albert Blot started already as a quite large company and employed more than 100 workers. The factory did not produce real art porcelain but was more focussed on table wares. Boussomaert – Arras (France) Founded in 1770 by Joseph François Boussomaert Used from: 1770 – 1790 The Arras porcelain factory was founded in 1770 by Joseph François Boussomaert under the protection of M. de Calonne, the governor of Flanders and Artois. However, the Arras factory only produced soft paste porcelain which was painted in the style of the Tournai and Chantilly factories. The factory was closed in 1790.

Anton Richter – Dresden (Germany – Saxony) Founded in 1887 by : Anton Richter Used: from 1887 Anton Richter did not manufacture porcelain and the speciality of the studio was decorating porcelain in the Vienna and Meissen styles. Richters studio of Richter did win the Dresden silver medal award for porcelain decoration in 1891 and in 1896. The ‘AR’ was probably used to add credibility and as it matched Richters initials. Hutschenreuther – Hohenberg (Germany – Hohenberg) Founded in 1822 by Carl Magnus Hutschenreuther Used : c1882 Set up by Carl Magnus Hutschenreuther, a porcelain painter who once worked at the Wallendorf factory. The mark is actually ‘HR’ and not ‘AR’ however the form displays a clear intention to fool the uneducated buyer. The “Porzellanfabrik C.M. Hutschenreuter is still one of the biggest porcelain factories in Germany.

Tinelli – Milano (Italy) Meissen Mark :: Crossed Swords - ArtiFact :: Free Encyclopedia of Everything Art, Antiques & Collectibles Meissen Mark :: Crossed Swords crossed swords Samples of actual meissen marks. You should remember that the marks are drawn by hand and that slight variations in the format occur and the mark only supports the source. The true test of an antique meissen piece is always the overall quality of the piece and the quality of the decoration. Dresden also used this mark and there are numerous marks that look similar, including modern day marks. It takes more than looking at the mark to identify Meissen or other high quality antique porcelains. Reference books: Meissen Porcelain by Otto Walcha 1981; The Book of Meissen by Robert E. Rontgen 1984 – there are several others but these two should get you started. Meissen Marks and Approximate Dates of Use: Early in the history of Meissen they were very careful when they marked their wares, the swords were placed at a wide angle to each other and were carefully drawn. As time went on, the marks were put on more freely and exact care was not taken with the placement of the marks.

So … the best way to know if what you have is a Meissen is to go to an expert if you are in doubt. If you know for sure that it isn’t a Meissen it may be one of the companies listed below. Get a magnifying glass and look at your mark closely…. is it crossed arrows or crossed swords? There is a difference. Meissen used several marks and there were several “reproduction” Meissen marks: When I say “reproduction marks” I mean reproduction from the 18th Century, maybe copy would be a better word. The canceled swords A canceled line often appears on a piece of Meissen either through or beside the crossed sword mark. This means the piece is supposed to be of inferior quality in either the painting or modeling. Some people say that Meissen used the canceled mark to increase turnover through price reduction. Others refer to the marks as a means of denoting a piece that has been given or sold to an outside decorator where it could be later painted (referred to as Outside Decorated). It can be very confusing for the collector. A piece given or sold to an outside decorator would be completely white in appearance. German Dresden mark, which is sometimes referred to as a Meissen mark.

This mark is now more correctly attributed to Helena Wolfsohn, a Dresden artist in the late 1880s! Mark: Crossed swords. There are several companies that used the crossed swords mark, I have listed those that I could find here but I don’t have photographs of the marks. So I recommend that you visit the library and look through several books on marks to find the one on your antique or collectible piece. I have given you a starting point with the pottery factory name. These are all European factories. Crossed Swords Marks, Crossed Arrows, Flambeaux Mark: * The mark most often mistaken for Meissen is from the rue Fontaine-au-Roy factory (aka Basse Courtille and La Courtille). It is in blue like the Meissen mark but is actually arrows instead of swords.

* Limbach and Volkstedt – Germany (sometimes had a star between the hilts similar to the Marcolini mark) * Weesp – Holland (had 3 dots near the blades) * La Courtille – Paris * Worcester – England (had a 6 looking character between the blades) * Kloster-Veilsdorf * Kalk Porcelain Crossed “L’s” Marks: * Vincennes factory used this mark and when it was taken over by Sevres they added very distinct date letters. **From a very old publication that I have only this page from, no name and not dated. Meissen incised marks, rather than underglaze, used on biscuit porcelain and white glazed porcelain: 1774-1814 — incised mark on biscuit porcelain. 1900 — incised mark on white glazed porcelain. 1814 — incised mark on biscuit porcelain. The Meissen blue crossed sword mark imitators.

Anspach (Germany – Nassau) Founded c1860 – Used From: 1860 onwards Arnstadt (Germany – Thuringia) Founded in 1790 – Used From: 1790 onwards – A small factory in production for a very short time. Berlin (Germany – Prussia) Founded in 1751 – By: Wilhelm Caspar Wegely Used From: 1751-1757 The Wegely factory (Manufacture de Porcelaine de Berlin) produced mainly figurines in the Meissen and Vienna style. Wegely was forced to close his factory in 1757 due to financial problems. Bristol (England – Gloucester) Founded in 1770 – By William Cookworthy – Richard Champion Used From: 1772-1782 William Cookworthy set up a porcelain factory at Plymouth in 1768, which he moved to Bristol around 1770. In 1772 he sold his patent to make porcelain to Richard Champion, who then sold it due to financial problems; to a consortium of Staffordshire potteries in 1782.

The factory in Bristol was closed not long after. Bristol (England – Gloucester) Founded in 1749 – By: William Miller and Benjamin Lund Used From: 1749-1752 Already operating as a glass making company in 1749 when they began manufacturing soft-paste porcelain. In 1752 William Lund sold the porcelain department to the Worcester factory. Buschbad (Germany) Founded in 1886 – By: L. Schleich Period: 1886 – ca. 1927 Produced mainly household porcelain, with some decorative wares. Factory closed in 1927. Caughley (England – Shropshire) Founded in 1755 – By: Gallimore – Thomas Turner Used From: 1772-1799 Thomas Turner, a porcelain-painter from Worcester married the daughter of Gallimore and introduced soft-paste porcelain to the production around 1772. In 1799 the factory was bought by John Rose, the owner of the Coalport factory. Rose transferred production and used factory as a warehouse. Factory closed in 1814.

Founded in 1859 – By: Joseph Schachtel Used From: ca. 1866 The Charlottenbrunn factory specialised in the production of porcelain pipes. WIth some general household porcelain and a few decorative wares. Factory closed in 1920. Founded in 1743 – By: Charles Gouyn – Nicholas Sprimont Used From: 1755-1758 The first English porcelain factory. Nicholas Sprimont, sole owner from 1749 put the factory up for sale in 1763 due to illness. In 1769 it was purchased by James Cox, who resold it in 1770 to William Duesbury, the owner of the Derby factory. Both companies merged afterwards (Chelsea-Derby period). Choisy-le-Roy (France – Seine) Founded in 1786 – By: M. Clément Used From: 1786 – 1886 In 1886, after an official complaint by Meissen: Choisy-le-Roy was forbidden to make further use of the crossed swords mark.

Derby (England – Derbyshire) Founded in 1756 – By Planché, John Heath and William Duesbury Used From: Last quarter of the 18th century The first factory was set up in 1745 by Thomas Briand and James Marchand, but lasted for only a short period. The second attempt, by William Duesbury in 1756, was more succesful: the Derby factory is still operational today. Its products were advertised using the slogan “Derby the second Dresden”, directly relating it to Meissen and high quality porcelain. In 1784 – Derby merged with the Chelsea factory. Dresden (Germany – Saxony) Founded at the end of the 19th century – By Meyers.

Used From: End of the 19th century This was not a porcelain factory but a company and eventually a selection of companies and decorators who decorated porcelain in the Meissen style Dresden (Germany – Saxony) Founded in 1894 – By Franziska Hirsch Used from: 1894 – 1896 In 1894 Franziska Hirsch founded a painting studio located in Struwestrasse 19 where porcelain was decorated in the Meissen style. In 1896 the Meissen factory submitted an official complaint against Hirsch for the imitation of their patented factory mark. The complaint was upheld and Hirsch was forbidden any further use of the mark. The Meissen Porcelain story began when Augustus II The Strong; Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (1670-1733), protected the goldsmith Johann Friedrich Böttger from the Prussians pursuing him. Meissen Castle The protection of this passionate collector of Chinese and Japanese porcelain, together with the encounter of Böttger with the scholar Tschirnhaus and the artistic influence of the designer J. J. Kaendler and the painter J. J.

Hoeroldt in the first half of the 18th century formed the unique group that led to, what is considered, the birth of european porcelain manufacture. The know how, experience and passion for the white gold known as porcelain has defined the character of Meissens porcelain production over the past centuries and still does today. Meissen was founded in 1710 in the gothic Albrechtburg castle. It was the first porcelain manufacturer in Europe. Originally situated in Dresden, in 1710 the factory was moved to the Albrechtsburg in Meissen, where it was more secure and easier to guard the secret of hard paste porcelain. Initial production was, for the most part, red Böttger stoneware and some of it was marked with incised Chinese characters. It wasn’t until 1713 that true porcelain began to take the place of this stoneware. In 1719, after the death of Böttger, Höroldt took charge of the factory. He was brought to Meissen from Vienna by Samuel Stölzel and created a rich palette of enamel colours to be used in decoration.

Höroldts work is known as the chinoiseries, and included typical scenes from the orient. In 1732 around 92 people worked for meissen, among them the famous modellers J.G. Kirchner and J.J. Kändler. On the 7th of April 1723 the Leipziger Post Zeitungen announced that the meissen wares would carry a mark to guard against forgeries. Forgeries had started appearing and were mostly minor damaged pieces, rejected by meissen, but decorated by home painters. Initially, the mark took the form of the letters KPM (Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur) in underglaze blue. From 1756-1773 meissen porcelain was marked with the crossed swords with a dot in between the crosspieces and the period was known as the dot-period. This period marked the transition towards the neo-classical style. When Höroldt and Kändler retired, Michel Victor Acier was appointed as master modeller. During Acier’s production period, mythological figures dominated.

The dot-period was followed by the Marcolini-period, named after Count Camillo Marcolini who became director of the company in 1774 and he held this position until 1814. The Meissen production from this period was marked in undeglaze blue with crossed swords and an asterix in between the cross-pieces. The Marcolini period ended in a crisis for the factory and its debts were enormously high. During the next ten years attempts were made to improve the business: technical innovations were introduced and wares were made in the popular taste ot the time. From that point things started to improve. In 1830 the name of the factory was changed from Königliche Manufaktur to Staatliche Porzellan Manufaktur and the Meissen factory is still operational and is producing the worlds’ most expensive porcelain. Our famous brand | MEISSEN Our famous brand Meissen® identifying marks The Meissen Porcelain Manufactory has consistently and continuously been alert to usage of its identifying marks ever since it was founded. The range of marks adopted was added to in the 20th century as a means of defending the “crossed swords”.

Enumerated below in chronological order are the marks used to identify Meissen Porcelain® through the ages, suffixed by the rights enjoyed by Meissen® to these titles. MEISSEN® Meissen® Meissener Porzellan® Böttgersteinzeug® MEISSEN-DESIGN® MEISSEN® - The Art of Luxury® MEISSEN® – Mystery® MEISSEN-ROSE® MEISSEN-BLUME® Schwertermarke® Gekreuzte Schwerter® Legal points All of the identifying marks shown on this homepage are copyright protected solely for the benefit of Staatliche Meissener Porzellan-Manufaktur GmbH. This protection applies throughout the world. There are additional markings on porcelain that neither guarantee nor rule out that the porcelain can be assigned to MEISSEN®. Meissen Porcelain® is exclusively produced by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, a company registered in the city of Meißen.

No other undertaking in the world, including in the city of Meißen or Meißen rural district, is entitled to use the “crossed swords”, “Meissen Porcelain®” or “MEISSEN®” in the context of porcelain, either in promotional material or on actual products. The Meissen Porcelain Manufactory likewise holds the applicable domain rights, which are identical to trademark rights in part. The best way of avoiding imitations, forgeries etc. is to purchase Meissen Porcelain® in a MEISSEN® BOUTIQUE or from an authorised MEISSEN® stockist. Pottery Mark Query - Figurine With Crossed Swords With a Circle Pottery Mark Query - Figurine With Crossed Swords With a Circle by Lynne Pottery Mark Query - Figurine With Crossed Swords With a Circle Pottery Mark Query - Figurine With Crossed Swords With a Circle Pottery Mark Query - Figurine With Crossed Swords With a Circle:- Hi, I purchased this 8" figurine of a woman sitting with a basket of grapes on her lap.

The mark on the bottom as can be seen in the photo is crossed swords with a circle in the middle of the lower half of the swords and the number 1433. After reading several inquiries on your site I saw no mention of the crossed swords with the number. Any ideas? Authenticity? Age? I really appreciate how you so lovingly help us neophytes :-) Thanks in advance for any light you can shed. Lynne Please contribute to this thread by writing in the comments section below – just scroll down... HOW I MADE MONEY FROM BITS & BOBS OF OLD CHINA .....more To Pottery Mark Query - Figurine With Crossed Swords With a Circle Hi Lynne ========================= UPDATE: The answer to this query is the mark os that of HOMCO. A distributor said to be associated with Japanese importer to the US Arnart. See comments section below for more details. The answer immediately below is my original unedited reply before we knew the answer ========================= Thanks for your interesting query about your figurine with crossed swords with a circle. It would be great to have seen the style of sculpting work on this piece as this tells all about the era it was made and the standard of the artwork.

Visitors will get more from me the more photos they send in - you can now send in up to 4. The photo of the wares is even more important in this case because the mark is not an obvious one i.e. it is not a well documented crossed swords mark from a famous or notable maker as shown in my reference books. I also checked using the searching resources as outlined in my China Replacement page with no luck so far. If you want to see a genuine Meissen Lady with basket with a proper Meissen crossed swords mark, look on this page: The problem with the crossed swords is the fact that fakers use it as well as the good companies. The first class makers use the mark as an 'homage' to Meissen. e.g.:- Coalport Meissen and Dresden: Porcelain Marks | Ruby Lane Blog Ruby Lane Blog > Antiques & Art > Meissen and Dresden: Porcelain Marks Meissen and Dresden: Porcelain Marks Posted in Antiques & Art by Carol Porcelain marks are usually identified by naming the original manufacturer or maker and dating them to a certain period.

In this fashion, if a pair of Urns are marked with a Sevres mark that dates ca 1800 – 1820s, we call them “A Pair of Sevres Porcelain Urns, ca 1800–1820s” and that’s it! This sounds simple enough and applies to most porcelain antiques and collectibles found in the market today. However, there is a group of porcelain marks that are identified based on the location of the maker rather than the actual maker (manufacturer), which can be confusing. This is particularly true for certain regions in the world that have a rich tradition in porcelain making, usually because there are several factories or studios in the area. One of the most famous such regions is Dresden and Meissen. Contrary to what many believe, “Meissen” and “Dresden” are not actual porcelain manufacturers. These names represent specific towns in the Saxony region of Germany (previously Poland) and this misnomer is partially explained by the very history of the first indigenous appearance of porcelain in Europe, and especially by how its production spread from the region thereafter.

White porcelain as we know it today, was first invented by the Chinese, some say as early as 100 BC. Since then and for a very long time, Europeans tried to recreate the superb white substance, which is malleable enough to allow forming elaborate objects but becomes hard and keeps its white color after firing in a kiln. Clay and terracotta were well known since ancient Greek times, thousands of years before porcelain entered the scene, but the sparkling whiteness of porcelain was much more desired – and elusive. As a consequence, porcelain was imported in large quantities from China and Japan, who had also mastered the art of porcelain early on, and became the prized possessions of many an Aristocrat or Royal Palaces in Europe. Chinese and Japanese porcelain was extremely expensive and usually came in ‘Blue & White’ or in other traditional oriental themes. Hence, the now common name of “china” which is used as another name for porcelain, but primarily in English speaking countries.

Although there were numerous attempts made in Italy, England, Holland and other countries to come up with a substitute by using similar compounds such as ‘Stoneware’ or ‘Earthenware’ in Italy, England, Holland etc., and then painting or “glazed” white, true porcelain as we know it today was just not in the cards yet. Luckily – literally – a pair of well-known alchemists, Tschirnhaus and Bottger, while experimenting with all sorts of concoctions in their laboratories, received a mixture of local clay from Dresden that seemed to have some similar qualities as porcelain from China. After analyzing this local “mud”, they finally came up with a mixture of kaolin and clay that after several refinements in terms of the right proportion etc., yielded the desired properties and was the first “real” porcelain ever made in a western country. This took place between 1700 and 1708. Within a couple of years, in 1710, Augustus II the Strong, the then ruler of Saxony where the towns of Meissen and Dresden are located, financed and established a factory, with Bottger as its first Director (Tschirnhaus died in 1708).

This was the very first porcelain manufacturer in Europe and was appropriately named “Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Meissen” only a few miles away from Dresden. And although the name changed somewhat when Germany no longer had a Royal family, to “State’s Porcelain Manufactory in Meissen”, most antiques collectors refer to products by this factory, which is still in full operation, as simply “Meissen” or “Dresden”. The first porcelain marks used by the Meissen factory were not registered or “protected”. This triggered a huge market of wares made by others, some of similar or equivalent quality as the authentic Meissen, but having their marks appear as imitations, or at least very similar, of the original marks used by Meissen. The initials KPM, KPF and MPM were extensively copied, as well as the intertwined initials AR, for Augustus Rex, almost in identical manner. The most famous Meissen mark ever copied was the ‘Crossed Swords’ and its many variations. Other newer porcelain factories began to use these marks in Germany, and the practice expanded to include a huge number of ‘porcelain decorating studios’ that did not necessarily have their own manufacturing facility.

Furthermore, this furious copying of both the style and marks as used by the original Meissen factory, was soon to become a thriving business in the rest of Europe like in France, England and elsewhere. To this day, the crossed swords of Meissen are the most copied porcelain marks ever. Although the original Meissen factory eventually prosecuted the use of these marks by others, most imitators just changed their marks slightly and continued to use them as before. Most of these changes were very minor, like a line or two across the crossed swords, or by placing numerous dots or numbers next to them, or curving the swords a bit, or even using just a couple of crossed lines (swords without handles). This practice, which continues to this day, especially on thousands of recent imports from Asia, has been a source of frustration and monetary losses for many antiques collectors or dealers. Therefore, it is particularly important that Meissen marks are carefully examined and a comparison be made to an authentic mark. Marks4Antiques.com, in the Ceramics section, provides a huge database of porcelain marks as used by both the original Meissen factory and the various Dresden area Studios. It also includes known copies of these marks, down to those used today on recent Asian imports.

However, the most important side effect and challenge of all this Meissen mania, at least for most collectors, has been the proper valuation or appraisal of the numerous antique copies, which are often as magnificent as the authentic ones. For example, Helena Wolfsohn was one of the most commercially successful and prolific imitators of original Meissen pieces. Since 1843 and well into the 1940s, her factory produced items that were almost indistinguishable in quality and used forged Meissen marks that looked practically identical, especially in the beginning. Her company was later sued by Meissen, after which their marks became more distinct and different, such as the famous “feathered H” mark on pieces still revered as great works of ‘Decorative Arts’. A bit later, Edme Samson, another copycat who was successful in his native Paris, France, created “true” reproductions of Meissen pieces down to the finest details. These were made and sold mostly on commission to rich patrons that preferred to display a copy and safely hide the original as a precaution against theft or damage. This provided the financial backing that Samson needed to begin producing thousands upon thousands of Meissen copies and copies of other famous porcelain factories.

He was soon known as “Samson the Imitator”. However, to his credit, pieces made at the Samson factory, which was closed for a while in the 1920s and re-opened by one his grandsons ca the 1940s, almost always included the letter S next to the crossed swords or used other ways to indicate that this was a copy. Perhaps even more abundant, were porcelain items, primarily figurines, made by the hundreds of porcelain decorating studios in Saxony. At one time, there was an estimated 300 or more such decorating studios and most took hold in the vicinity of the towns of Dresden and Meissen. Several others spread across to Bavaria, Prussia, and even other countries like Austria, France, and England. Some still survive today and produce fine specimens, mainly souvenirs for the tourist trade. The vast majority of these Studios did not have their own porcelain manufacturing and many of their wares were purchased as blanks from actual factories, which were then decorated by their artists. However, their contribution to decorating was not limited to hand-painting the pieces and simply firing them in the Kiln to set the glaze.

It often involved adding handcrafted details such as an extra purse on a lady figurine, an extra nearby grazing goat or flowers, a different hat or attire etc. These extra details were made of real porcelain and were created by true artisans, equal in skill to those that worked at the original Meissen factory. In fact, many of these same artisans at Meissen had two jobs, one at the factory and another at one of the Studios. This explains the remarkable similarity and level of quality of the “copies”. One of the most interesting and ingenious extra details was what is now referred to as “Dresden Lace”. This was a decorative element characteristic to the area of Dresden & Meissen and developed by local artists. It was made using real lace (cloth) that was dipped in liquid porcelain and then applied to the figurines by hand. The result was a delicately fine mesh that in appearance was almost indistinguishable from the soft lace itself. Unfortunately, as pretty as it looks, it is very brittle and it is not rare to see older figurines having tiny breaks or chips on those areas.

In conclusion, the correct use of the words “Dresden” and “Meissen” refer to the location of the first porcelain factory in a western country, not necessarily the factory itself. Although nowadays and in some cases, when one refers to Meissen they mean the original factory, this term and especially Dresden, are more accurately applicable to all of the porcelain factories and decorating studios in the region, in a collective manner. Lastly, both of these terms, Meissen or Dresden, also refer to the decorative style developed there and has continued to evolve ever since. This article contributed by a website which was created to help Collectors and Dealers research Antiques & Collectibles. All of the websites listed under Marks4Antiques were designed for use online in order to accommodate the growing number of mobile Antiques and Collectibles Dealers that roam the country traveling to different Auctions or Shows and those that sell or buy online (Ruby Lane, eBay, etc). Subscribing to any of the Marks4Antiques websites provides easy and fast visual methods for identifying and self-appraising items. An active member can also contact the experts of each website for personal assistance when a mark is not already in the database at no additional cost.

All staff are avid collectors, appraisers and professional dealers. The company is owned and operated in the State of California, USA. Leave a Reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Search PM&M [Resources / Misrepresented Marks / Crowns] Crowned eagle above 'Z.P.M.' and a pseudo-Sevres mark. (Picture by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Arnold) Unknown (Asia) A crown above crossed swords from around 2008, definitely not Meissen. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark, crowned crossed swords and the initials 'A T B' (or 'T A B', depending on view). (Picture by Caroline Ripley) Unknown (Asia) Repro mark, neither French nor old. Same crown as previous mark, swords also re-used. Reads 'PARIS ROYAL' and 'PAINT A LA MAIN'. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark dubbed HIW1866. Same items as AD1764, JBT1906, LRIA1898 and WL1895. Appears hand-drawn but is stamped.

(Picture by Lavi Ben Ari) Unknown (Asia) Another example of the previous mark, this time in a reddish brown. This (and the previous) mark was first seen in 2010. Repro mark from the Neundorf line. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark, a crowned shield containing crossed arrows with '1908-1912' addition. (Picture by Mariette Van den Munckhof-Vedder) Crown above capital 'A' above 'HAND PAINTED'. Unknown (Asia) Stylized crown above the initials 'AA', often incorrectly claimed to be a German mark. Unknown Stylized crown above a capital 'B'. Unknown Impersonation of a Ludwigsburg, Passau or Niderviller mark, of course this one is far too modern to be real. Unknown Impersonation of a Ludwigsburg, Passau or Niderviller mark which actually looks as if it was made with a felt-tip pen. Unknown Impersonation of a Ludwigsburg, Passau or Niderviller mark, gold overglaze. This was found together with another mark, see next image.

Unknown Same piece, but underglaze (pic taken at an angle, was hard to see otherwise). An impersonation of a Bloch (Paris, France) mark. Unknown Overglaze golden version found on a badly decorated import figurine. Sri Lanka 'ROCOCO COLLECTION', first mark on figurines produced by CDC between 1990 and 1995. (Thanks to Ivan Golsky for info and this mark.) Sri Lanka 'HANDMADE ROKOKO 1720-80', second mark by CDC. Both versions usually carry a small 'MADE IN SRI LANKA' sticker. Sri Lanka 'CDC HANDBEMALT', third mark by CDC, customized for the German market. This time with original 'MADE IN SRI LANKA' sticker. Unknown Crowned capital 'D' similar to the Keilhauer or Klette marks; some people therefore claim this to be a Höffner (Sandizell, Bavaria) mark. Unknown Made-up mark, hand-drawn crown. Note that the 'MADE IN AUSTRIA' is similar to the addition found with the repro crowned 'VICWNA' mark.

Germany Often claimed to be from 'around 1900' by porcelain shoe collectors. They are way off as the company responsible for this mark was founded in 1951. Unknown (Asia) Crossed arrow and saber above the letter 'L'. Unknown Crown above the initials 'MR' and '1773'. Sri Lanka Stylized crown above a capital 'P'. Some sellers invented all kinds of stories about this mark. Sri Lanka As you can see, these items were normally shipped with a 'MADE IN SRI LANKA' sticker. Unknown Simple crown above a capital 'S'. San Marco, Italy Crown including the initials 'SM' above a capital 'N'. (Identified by Cheryl Barry) Unknown (Asia) Repro mark found on pill boxes, mark tries to wake an association with the 'PMP' mark originally used by the Porzellanmanufaktur Plaue. Germany This mark (on Unterweissbach items only) was from 1985 onwards used on items of secondary quality sold via a non-related outlet. Repro mark dubbed WL1897. Nearly same as previous but with 'WL' instead of 'UW'.

(Picture by Marc Eerdekens) Repro mark, 'VICWNA' and 'OEOETZUCH OESCNUTZT' addition. Don't let the impressed 'VIENNA' fool you! Unknown (Asia) Repro mark, crown held up by two lions. 'VICWNA' was meant to read 'VIENNA' and ... Unknown (Asia) ... 'OEOETZUCH OESCNUTZT' should read 'GESETZLICH GESCHÜTZT'. The forger must have been drunk, stoned, or both. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark, crown above the letter 'Z' and the '1/1078' addition found on many reproductions. (Image by Mark used on reproductions: lion and gryphon flanking a shield. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark dubbed AD1764, here the monochrome version. Found on same items as WL1895, JBT1906, etc. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark dubbed AD1764, here an example of the multicolor version. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark dubbed 'FAC v3'.

Stylized crown above pseudo-shield containing the letters 'FAC'. There are also two crossed swords marks that use the same letters. PM&M [Resources / Misrepresented Marks / Crossed] Four-feathered crossed arrow mark from an item designed for Arnart by Stouffer. Unknown Look-alike of the well-known Jaeger&Co. mark; this mark form is documented as 'copy' or 'fake' in various books. Unknown Crossed four-feathered arrows above 'BLUE ONION'. Unknown Crossed three-feathered arrows above 'HANDPAINTED'. Unknown (Asia) Stylized crossed swords above the letter 'F'. This was soon replaced by an 'R'. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark dubbed 'FAC v1', stylized crossed swords including the letters 'FAC'. There is also a shield-based version (FAC v3) containing the same letters. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark dubbed 'FAC v2', stylized crossed swords including the letters 'FAC'. (Picture by Balsa Djuric) Stylized crossed swords above what appears to be 'HK'.

(Picture by Jutta Mauer) Unknown (Asia) Mark found on reproductions, an imitation of a mark originally used by the decoration studio August Schmidt (Ilmenau, Thuringia) who of course used other letters. Crossed arrow and saber above the letter 'L'. Unknown Stylized crossed swords above the letter 'R'. As noted before, the same swords were earlier found above an 'F'. (Picture by Cecil Geaney) Unknown Another example on illegal recast. The Scheibe-Alsbach 'lump' normally is a blue piece added later but the fakers included it in the mold. Petrus Regout Often claimed to be Rauenstein or whatever, but this mark actually belonged to Petrus Regout from the town of Maastricht (Netherlands). Unknown (Asia) Repro mark, crossed swords above the initials 'R.B.' in an oval, here without addition. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark, crossed swords above the initials 'R.B.' in an oval, here with '1/1078' addition known from other repro items. Unknown Fantasy mark, crossed 'somethings' above the letter 'Z'.

Literally the same items can be found carrying a crowned 'Z' mark. Unknown Similar mark, crossed swords above the letter 'Z'. Unknown (Asia) A crown above crossed swords from around 2008, definitely not Meissen. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark, crowned crossed swords and the initials 'A T B' (or 'T A B', depending on view). (Picture by Caroline Ripley) Unknown (Asia) Repro mark, neither French nor old. Same crown as previous mark, swords also re-used. Reads 'PARIS ROYAL' and 'PAINT A LA MAIN'. Unknown (Asia) Repro mark dubbed HIW1866. Same items as AD1764, JBT1906, LRIA1898 and WL1895. Appears hand-drawn but is stamped. (Picture by Lavi Ben Ari) Unknown (Asia) Another example of the previous mark, this time in a reddish brown. This (and the previous) mark was first seen in 2010.

Antique Marks for Lines, Pottery & Porcelain Marks Lines Lines Pottery & Porcelain Marks – Lines: From the 18th century to present, marks made up of lines straight or bent into waves, x's, crosses, and diamonds were used. The first line mark, two "crossed swords," was used by the Meissen factory in Germany beginning around 1725 and is still being used today. The handles of the swords are at the bottom of the mark and the blades of the sword point toward the top. Many companies including the Volkstedt pottery have used a version of the mark. Collectors are often confused by faked "crossed sword" marks. There are three unique marks to note: the English Registry Mark , Sevres Date Mark , and Meissen Augustus Rex mark. Other Related Categories

Question: Which porcelain manufacturer has two crossed swords as its mark?
Answer: MEISSEN